Nucleotide sequence of a nucleoside triphosphate phosphohydrolase gene from African swine fever virus

A putative nucleoside triphosphate phosphohydrolase (NTPase) gene of African swine fever virus was identified by using a degenerate oligonucleotide probe derived from the nucleoside triphosphate binding motif, which is highly conserved among viral and cellular NTPases. The probe hybridized with fragments SalI E and EcoRI Q, which is entirely contained in the former one. Sequencing of this region revealed an open reading frame, designated Q706L, coding for a protein of 706 amino acids, with a calculated molecular weight of 80,283. The deduced amino acid sequence of this open reading frame has significant similarity with the putative helicase encoded by the killer plasmid pGKL2 of Kluyveromyces lactis as well as with the NTPase I of vaccinia virus and entomopoxvirus and a subunit of the early transcription factor of vaccinia and fowlpox virus. The protein encoded by this open reading frame contains the sequence features characteristic of helicases of the superfamily II. According to this, we propose the inclusion of the product of this ASF virus gene in this superfamily.